Adjustable bed cover support



June 19, 1956 M, GOLD ADJUSTABLE BED COVER SUPPORT Filed April 27, 1955 Kal.

5 |m NIU (Si. w y l M .l nl. P J M 2 2 E INVEN TOR. MELDON GOLD 2M ATTORNEY any? ABUSTABLE BED [COVER .SUPPORT vMoldon Gold, "Denver, Colo.

Application April J277, 1953, Serial N0.. 351,232

4 Claims. (Cl. 5-319) This invention relates .to attachments susceptible of operative .association with `conventional beds `of various types and constructions to function Yas an altitudinally adjustable support for the area Vof the usual bed covers overlying the foot portionof the bed., and has .as an object to provide an improved construction and organization of elements constituting such an attachment.

A further object .of ,the invention is .to provide an iinproved altitudinally adjustable bed .cover support :convenient ci attachment to bed frames, elements, and assemblies of diverse .particularitv A further object of the invention is to provide .an improved altitudinally adjustable bed `cover ,support :that is convenient of manipulation between .a condition simulative of usual bed cover arrangernent and positions of selective bed cover elevation.

A further object of the invention is ,to provide `an irnproved altitudinally adjustable bed rcover support chan acterized by novel and eilicient means for retaining .the bed covers in adjusted relation on and for .travel with the support.

A further object 4of the invention is to provide ,an improved altitudinally adjustable bed cover support that is simple and inexpensive of production, adaptable and .convenient of installation, positive and A.etlcient in attainment of the ends for which designed, and expedient .of use.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, my invention consists in the construction, arrangement, and combination of elements as hereinafter set forth, pointed out in my claims, and illustrated by the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is an end elevation of a typical embodiment of the invention as installed -ready for practical use on a conventional bed of modern type, broken -lines indicating an alternative position of the relatively .adjustable elements of the support.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the arrangement according to Figure l, the position o f the bed Covers and ,an alternative position of the relatively adjustable `elements of the support being indicated by broken lines; `the major portion of the bed not essental to an understanding of the invention being broken away to conserve space.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary, detail elevationJ Partly in section and on an enlarged scale, of one of the duplicate ends of the support shown in the preceding Views.

Figure 4 is a side View, partly in section, ofthe arrangement according to Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a View similar to Figure 3 ,illustrating an alternative construction and arrangement of the elements constituting one end of the improved support.

Figure 6 is a side elevation, partly in section, of the arrangement according to Figure 5.

lt is common experience that Ithere are numerous occasions when it is desirable .to maintain the Warmth and protection of bed covers with relation to a .bed occupant without subjecting thevoccupant to Vthe weight of and frictional contact -with said covers at the `foot of the bed. Such conditions are frequently occasioned in connection l nitcd States Patent ice with Athine bed-fast vbecause of illness or injury., but itis also known that many individuals rest `more comfortably when the bed covers are elevated into clearing relation with the reet. Regardless of .the particular occasionror its use, the yimprovement of the insta-ntinvention resides Ain a practical, convenient, adaptable, ,and ,inexpensive 'support susceptible of operative association with .and at the kfoot of a bed and selectively adjustable to hold the bed covers ,at various desired velevations above the upper .sur- -face of the bed.

While, as will clearly appear, .the improvement .is adaptable to operative ,association with bed assemblies `of partically all types and constructions, the unit 'is tshownritl Figures l and 2 as mounted upon `the foot portion iof a bedof modern type :characterized by Va frame 10 provided with feet 11 arranged forrengagcemnt with a door vto support said frame parallel tothe Hoor, `a -trained box ,spring unit 12 supported by thejframe Illa-nd a mattress 13 resting :upon and overlying the :spring unit 1.2.

The actual support for the bed ,covers is a straight, rigid rod 14 of appropriate material, preferably metal, having a length approximating the width of the bed with which the improvement is to be employed. ,In `the arrangement according to -Figures 1 4, inclusive, a straight, rigid, cylindrical stem 1S is Xed to and `inwardly .adjacent each end of the rod 14 in perpendicular relation with the latter, two such stems 15 being engaged with the rod 14 in spaced, parallel extension Vfrom the latter and in the same plane lradially of the rod. Each of the stems ,l5 -is `telescopically and slidably received in a tubular standard -16 of a length yto yfully house the associated stern, and the end of k.the standard 16 intersected Vby its stem 15 `is furnished with Van apertured cap fitting 17 carrying =a roundmosed, spring-pressed detent 19 directed and urged inwardly of the fitting and against the surface -of the stem l5; .the said stem surface slidably opposed to the detent 1-9 being recessed or notched at vspaced intervals, as at 2t), for yieldable coaction with the round nose of Asaid detent in a manncrto retain said stern 15 in various positions of extension outwardly from the lassociated,standard 16. While not essential, it is convenient and expedient to vconnect the fittings i7 of the separate standards 16 yby means of a rod or strut 2i spanning therebetween in spaced parallelism with the rod 14, the .use of the Astrut 21somewhat facilitating operative mounting of the standards 16 for y.desired coaction with the stems 15 and rod 14.

The standards 16 function as vertical slide bearings for the stems 1,5 when said standards are secured in appropriate spaced parallelism to ixed elements 'of the bed assembly, and various expedients may be availed tof to attach said standards to and in the desired operative relation with any particular bed. As represented, attaching plates or clips 22 may be secured, as by welding or brazing, to the standards 16 in position to bear against and be secured to frame elements .of the box spring 12, or, as will be well within the knowledge and skill of ordinary craftsmen, other types of clips may be xedly or shiftably engaged with and at Various points along the standards 16 for appropriate connection with elements of bed frames, spring units, and the like; the particular means utilized to attach the standards 16 to and in appropriate relation with the foot end of a bed assembly being so obviously a variable within the scope of ordinary skill as to con stitute no significant part of the present invention.

Completing the improved support for its `intended .operaton, an open siot 23 is formed longitudinally of and through the wall of each standard 16 directed away 4from the bed when the standard Vis mounted in ,its position of use, said slot 23 preferably extending somewhat less'than the full length of the associated standards and 'serving v'to yslidably accommodate an ear, pin, or lug `24 tixedly outstanding therethrough from the lower end of the associated stem 15, any clamps or clips 22 employed for mounting of the standards 16 being interrupted to clear said slot 23 or positioned on the standard out of covering relation with said slot. Fixed to and bridging between the elements 24 outstanding through the slots of the paired standards 16, an upwardly-bowed channel 25 is mounted to open upwardly toward the rod 14, and a retractile coil spring 26 is fixed at its ends to the ends of the channel 25 and is thereby adapted to be tensioned along and within the channel; the said spring 26 being readily removable from its seat in and along the channel without disengagement of its ends and spanning in a substantially straight line between the elements 24, as indicated by broken lines in Figure 3, when it has been displaced from its seat in the channel.

In the use of the improvement constructed as shown and described, the standards 16 are expediently attached to the foot of a bed assembly with their axes vertical, the slots 23 directed outwardly and away from the bed, and the upper ends of the fittings 1'7 at or slightly below the upper level plane of the mattress 13, thereby to dispose the rod 14 substantially coplanar with the upper surface of said mattress and transversely adjacent thereto. With the rod 14 closely adjacent the iittings 17 by virtue of maximum engagement of the stems 1S within the standards 16, the bed covers 27 may be draped in a usual manner over said rod to depend in covering relation with the support assembly and below the channel 25. With the spring 26 disengaged from its seat in the channel 25, end portions of the bed covers are pressed behind the spring and the latter is then lifted along the bed cover outer surface and returned to its seat in the channel, thereby clamping the bed covers to and for travel with said channel as the latter is adjusted altitudinally. Once the bed has been made as described over the rod 14 in a lowered position of the latter, the bed appears closely similar to an ordinary bed not equipped with the improvement; the bed covers being firmly held against displacement at the foot end of the bed through the clamping engagement between the spring 26 and channel 25. To accomplish desired elevation of the foot area of the bed covers above the mattress 13, all that is needed is a lifting of the rod 14 with an effort sutiicient to overcome the yieldable latch action of the detents 19. Even though the rod 14 is covered by the bed clothes to be elevated, it is entirely feasible to grasp the rod through the covers, or to engage the ends of the rod extending beyond the stems 15, thereby to elevate the rod and the covers 27 thereover any desired distance within the slide range of the stems relative to their standards 16; the detents 19 ratcheting with relation to the notches or recesses 2n of the stems until the desired elevation of the rod 1d is attained and subsequently maintained by the latching of the detents.

As is manifest, the elements 24, 25, and 26 travel with the rod 14 and stems 15 during altitudinal adjustment of the rod, thereby preserving the initial clamped engagement of the bed cover overhang between the spring 26 and channel and obviate any occasion for a readjustment of the bed cover disposition when the support is altitudi- -nally manipulated.

If deemed to be requisite, a strut 2S may be supplied in fixed bridging relation between the ele-` ments 2d or the corresponding ends of the channel 25,

but it is apparent that said strut is superfluous when the Y other 'elements of the organization are appropriately fabricated.

` ment identical with that of said stems, and the channel 25 with its spring 26 engages at and bridges between lower open ends of the posts 29 yfor travel with the latter as a bedcover clamp means exactly as earlier set forth. In

place of the standards 16, cylindrical posts 30 are provided for telescopic coaction with the posts 29, and means, such as clamps or clips 31, are associated with the posts 30 for securing said posts to and in desired operative relation with elements of a bed assembly. One, at least, of the attaching means 31 is carried by a portion of the post 30 normally received within the appropriate post 29, and such disposition of the attaching means is accommodated by a slot 32 longitudinally intersecting the side of the post 29 directed toward the bed assembly and slidably accommodative of a web 33, or the equivalent, linking the attaching means 31 to the post 30. The modification is provided with yieldable detent elements similar to, or the same as, those previously described; the showing of Figure 5 including a leaf spring 34 iixed exteriorly of the post 29 to dispose a round-nosed detent 35 through an opening in the post 29 for coaction with recesses or notches 36 spacedly interrupting the post 30 surface opposed to said detent 35. As is clearly apparent, the modiiied construction of the support represented by Figures 5 and 6 is adapted for installation and use in precisely the same manner as is hereinabove detailed.

Since changes, variations, and modifications in the form, construction, and arrangement of the elements shown and described may be had without departing from the spirit of my invention, I wish to be understood as being limited solely by the scope of the appended claims, rather than by any details of the illustrative showing and foregoing description.

I claim as my invention:

l. An adjustable bed'cover support comprising a frame vunit including a rod engageable laterally and beneath the tive to said bearings, and a bed cover clamp rigidly spanning said frame unit between corresponding portions of said members remote from the rod and movable with said unit in a fixed spacing from and below the frame unit rod, wherein the frame unit members are cylindrical stems, the slide bearings are tubular elements telescopically accommodative of said stems, corresponding wall areas of said tubular elements are longitudinally slotted for slidable accommodation of lugs iixedly outstanding radially from portions of said stems received within said elements, and the bed cover clamp is fixed at its ends to and bridges between said lugs.

2l An adjustable bed cover support comprising a frame unit including a rod" engageable laterally and beneath the covers of a bed and like members iixedly outstanding in a common plane perpendicularly from and adjacent the ends of said rod, slide bearings coactable with said members, means engaging said slide bearings and attachable to foot elements of a bed to support the associated frame unit for altitudinal adjustment, means on said members and slide bearings coactable to yieldably retain said frame unit in various of its positions of adjustment relative to said bearings, and a bed cover clamp rigidly spanning said frame unit between corresponding portions of said members remote from the rod and movable with said unit in a fixed spacing from and below the frame unit rod, wherein the frame unit members are tubular, the slide bearings are cylindrical elements telescopically receivable within said tubular members, corresponding wall areas of said tubular members are longitudinally l slotted for slidable accommodation of lugs fixedly outf5-'the bed cover clamp islfixed at its ends to and bridges between ends of said tubular members intersected by the -slide bearing elements.

3. An adjustable bed cover support comprising a frame unit including a rod engageable laterally and beneath the covers of a bed and like members xedly outstanding in a common plane perpendicularly from and adjacent the ends of said rod, slide bearings coactable with said members, means engaging said slide bearings and attachable to foot elements of a bed to support the associated frame unit for altitudinal adjustment, means on said members and slide bearings coactable to yieldably retain said frame unit in various of its positions of adjustment relative to said bearings, and a bed cover clamp rigidly spanning said frame unit between corresponding portions of said members remote from the rod and movable with said unit in a Xed spacing from and below the frame unit rod, wherein the frame unit members and slide bearings are telescopically associated and the means thereon coactable to yieldably retain the frame unit in various adjusted positions comprises recesses spacedly interrupting a longitudinal exterior surface strip of the inner telescopically-associated element and a roundnosed, spring-pressed detent carried by the outer telescopically-associated element for ratcheting coaction with said recesses.

4. An adjustable bed cover support comprising a frame unit including a rod engageable laterally and beneath the covers of a bed and like members xedly outstanding 6 in a common plane perpendicularly from and adjacent the ends of said rod, slide bearings coactable with said members, means engaging said slide bearings and attachable to foot elements of a bed to support the associated frame unit for altitudinal adjustment, means on said members and slide bearings coactable to yieldably retain said frame unit in various of its positions of adjustment relative to said bearings, and a bed cover clamp rigidly spanning said frame unit between corresponding portions of said members remote from the rod and movable with said unit in a xed spacing from and below the frame` unit rod, wherein the bed cover clamp is constituted as a longitudinally-bowed channel fixed at its ends to the associated frame unit members and bridging therebetween as an arch approached to the unit rod with the channel opening toward said rod, and a retractile coil spring fixed at its ends to the ends of said channel to traverse and seat within said channel at times.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 899,325 Riley Sept. 22, 1908 1,795,435 Melzer Mar. 10, 1931 1,972,712 Lager Sept. 4, 1934 2,300,898 Allen Nov. 3, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS 125,628 Sweden July 26, 1949 

